Near Cheyenne in Laramie County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)

Trails & Tales of I-25

Wyoming's Continued Role as Crossroads of the Nation

By Barry Swackhamer, September 19, 2015

1. Trails & Tales of I-25 Marker

Inscription. Interstate 25 serves as a primary north-south corridor for the western states. Skirting the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, it stretches 1,059 miles from southern New Mexico to northern Wyoming. A vital junction with east-west interstates, it connects I-10- in the south with I-90 in the north, and in-between crosses I-40, 1-70, I-76, and I-80.

How the System Works
You don't need a map to determine an interstate highway's location and route. Interstate highways ending in "0" (10, 20, 30, ...) run latitudinally, or west to east, starting in the South with I-10 and increasing to I-90 in the North. Interstate highways ending in "5" (5, 15, 25, ...) run longitudinally, or south to north, from I-5 on the Pacific Coast to I-95 along the Atlantic Seaboard. Together they weave a national network of expressways. Based on this information, you can tell that I-25 runs longitudinally and is located in the West.

Driving American Mobility
Out interstate highway system results from the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, popularly called the National Interstate and Defense Highway Act. Supported by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the act emerged due to lobbying by major U.S. automobile manufacturers and from Cold War fears that, without ground transport routes for military supplies ands troop deployments,

By Barry Swackhamer, September 19, 2015

2. Trails & Tales of I-25 Marker

the U.S. was vulnerable to foreign invasion. Built to support military vehicles, these roads stand up to harsh weather and lots of traffic. In Wyoming, however, I-25, I-80, and I-90 sometimes close in winter due to blizzards.

Taking the Road Most Traveled
Construction of I-25 across Wyoming ran from 1956 to 1982. It seamlessly connected segments of existing roads from New Mexico to Wyoming, including US Route 87, which had been the old National Park-to-Park Highway between Denver and Casper, which in turn had absorbed the historic Yellowstone Highway. I-25 belongs to several transcontinental routes, including the "Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway" connecting San Francisco to Washington, D.C., and the "Camino Real" spanning from Texas to Montana. So, as you drive along enjoying the endless rolling prairie, remember the century of vehicles that have passed before you.

Location. 41° 3.546′ N, 104° 52.773′ W. Marker is near Cheyenne, Wyoming, in Laramie County. Marker can be reached from High Plains Road near Interstate 25, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5611 High Plains Road, Cheyenne WY 82007, United States of America.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on January 13, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California. This page has been viewed 211 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 13, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California.